


The Darkest Art

by kadotoriku



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Books, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Gen, Horcruxes, POV Sirius Black, Pre-Marauders Era (Harry Potter), The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, brief mention of vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:08:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28801827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kadotoriku/pseuds/kadotoriku
Summary: The two Black brothers run away from their tutor by hiding in their family library. Sirius finds an interesting book that unknowingly becomes a catalyst for many things in the future.
Relationships: Regulus Black & Sirius Black
Kudos: 18
Collections: Banned Together Bingo 2020





	The Darkest Art

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Banned Together Bingo 2020, for my space of [TOO SCARY] on [my card](https://kadotoriku.dreamwidth.org/1001.html). It's a bit self-explanatory seeing as Sirius accidentally comes across grotesque images that scares him and Regulus.

Sirius drags a giggling Regulus along with him and tries to quiet his younger brother, putting a finger to his own lips.

“ _Shhh!_ ”

Yeah, they’re supposed to be reviewing how to handle and prepare potion ingredients, but Sirius’s brain is about to melt out of his ears! Can you blame him? Professor Shafiq can be too uptight and _boring_.

Regulus muffles his laughter with his free hand, nodding enthusiastically as they traverse over the worn carpet like explorers in a new land.

The two brothers stumble and bump into one another as they make their way into the library, all while listening carefully for their soon-to-arrive tutor. Their father is doing business and their mother is away shopping with friends. After Walburga Black sternly told the two of them to wait for their teacher for a _whole-day_ session and promptly disappeared into emerald Floo flames, Sirius took the initiative to run away with his brother and hide out for as long as possible in the maze of towering shelves and smelly books.

The Black family library is certainly a sight to behold, and Sirius has no illusions that it’s not one (if not _the_ ) most extensive collection of ageless and priceless knowledge. He reads and goes there often, sometimes dragging Regulus along so they can practice spells and see if they can do stuff wandlessly.

The books are spelled with protective hexes and curses for intruders and outsiders, but not for those who’re brave and witty!

(...And have Black blood in their veins, but Sirius is just going to selectively ignore that pish posh rubbish.)

“I saw a book with harmless hexes somewhere, there was one that makes people tongue-tied,” Regulus whispers excitedly.

Sirius gasps. “Then what are you waiting for, then? Bring it here!”

While Regulus scutters off to find the elusive book, Sirius occupies himself by marching towards the sections he hasn’t read anything from yet. There are far too many books to go over them one by one, so the next best thing is to obviously take his chances and gamble that whatever he finds has something cool.

One particular tome catches his eye, its worn spine sticking out from the pristine ones surrounding it.

He carefully slips it off from the shelf. It weighs like any old book would, its materials far too delicate for too many spells to be placed upon them. The black leather is worn from age—which is strange because most, if not _all_ , books in the library have some sort of stasis charm to keep them in good condition.

“This must be really old,” Sirius declares.

Regulus hasn’t come back yet, so he goes to their favorite table to study the book further. Purple swirls are painted on the front and back, with silver knots forming a rectangular border. The cover is faded but the title there is more readable than the spine.

 _‘Secrets of the Darkest Art_.’

Secrets, huh?

A grin. He likes secrets and forbidden knowledge. The hush-hushedness just makes it all the more fun and thrilling to learn about!

His smile goes flat, though, when he rereads ‘ _the Darkest Art_ ’ from the title because what exactly _is_ the Darkest art?

Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back so Sirius thumbs a random page and cracks the book open to reveal its deepest, darkest mysteries.

And he promptly jumps back with a startled cry.

Knocking himself back onto nearby armchair, he clamps a hand over his mouth to suppress whatever choked up noises manage to escape his throat. With wide eyes, Sirius shudders at the image searing itself into his mind.

The imprint of a rather detailed corpse etches itself into his memory, the way the red ink on the illustration seemed far too similar to real dried blood, the manner of which the exposed organs and veins and arteries were colored with bright hues. He didn’t have much time to read through the cursive text, but what he gleaned on skin carvings and death is enough to make him want to vomit.

As if summoned by the thought alone, a bitter taste wells up in his throat. He suppresses the urge to throw up and swallows it back down with a painful and burning gulp. His breaths come out deep and heavy, he heaves for air despite the abundance of it around him.

“ _Horcrux_...?”

Sirius snaps out of his stupor when Regulus’ soft voice breaks through the tension. His younger brother’s eyes are transfixed on the drawings of the still-open book. He clutches a spellbook to his chest, knuckles a pale white and body as still as a corpse, and Sirius fears that the stupid tome might give Regulus nightmares.

“Look away!” Sirius yells and surges forward.

Leaning his body against the table for support, he shuts the damn thing with shaky hands. He shivers from disgust and revulsion because he does know a thing or two about Dark magic but it’s no wonder that the contents of the book are labelled as being about the _Darkest_ art.

For a few seconds, minutes, _hours_ —Sirius can’t tell—the only sound in the library is their heavy breathing mingling into a singular comforting rhythm.

“Maybe... maybe you should put that, um, back...” Regulus says weakly. “Please?”

“Yeah.” Sirius forces the tension out of his body with a heavy exhale. “I’ll... I’ll do that. I’m sorry for making you see that.”

A pause.

“I’ll be... I’m okay... But—but what about you?”

He doubts his baby brother will be okay after seeing that, but Sirius doesn’t call him out on it because it’d be pot calling the kettle black. Picking up the thing and holding it as far away from his chest as possible, he tells Regulus in an oddly calm voice.

“I’m okay too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've always had this headcanon floating around my head because even after many years have passed, I still get the feels and all angst thinking about Sirius and Regulus. Now, this one-shot has finally been dusted off and brought out onto the world—mostly motivated by an achievement badge I want to get for the bingo challenge, hahah.
> 
> Thanks for dropping by! Feel free to leave a comment on your way out. :)


End file.
